Even low alcohol consumption harmful
Health experts have warned even low alcohol consumption can be harmful
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By Matt Fortune. |  |
Friday, 23, Oct 2009 12:10
By Richard James.
Health experts have warned even low alcohol consumption can be harmful.
Research published in the open access journal Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation looked the effect of low consumption on health by measuring alcohol-related medical care costs and episodes.
The study found, with the exception of people more than 80 years old, men who consumed up to five units a day and women who consumed up to 2.5 units a day cost the health service more than those who do not drink.
The authors claim their finding call into question the previous assumption that low alcohol consumption can in fact have a positive affect.
Previous studies have suggested people with low alcohol intake are more highly paid, using the untested hypothesis that low consumers spend more time at work and therefore gets better pay due to the protective effect of alcohol on some diseases.
Johan Jarl, from Lund University, Sweden, said: "In this study, however, we found that, when including also those diseases where low consumption increases the risk of morbidity and mortality, low-to-moderate alcohol intake actually has a net negative health impact.
"It is therefore doubtful if the common explanation of health as the link between alcohol consumption and increased wages is valid in its existing form."
Commenting on other factors that might account for the alcohol-wage link, Mr Jarl added: "Family background, social networking and subjective health benefits may be responsible.
"It is not unlikely that the link is actually compiled of several different factors that together give a significant effect of low alcohol consumption on wage. It should come as no surprise that the nature of links such as this is normally complex and care should be taken not to oversimplify."